5 reasons why carbs are not making us fat

Yes, you need to eat carbs. And no, doing so is not making you fat. Here's a few reasons why

Often thought of as the enemy when it comes to weight control – the humble carbohydrate, whether it is found in bread, rice, breakfast cereal, fruit or refined sugars such as juice or honey is banned from many a weight loss diet. The irony of this blatant ban, is that it is not only human nature to want what we think we cannot have, but eliminating the majority of carbohydrate from the diet means that at times our meals can be left unbalanced. Eggs minus the toast, salad and tuna without the starch and grilled fish and vegies can leave dieters hungry and craving the sweet stuff. So here are some great reasons to fear carbs no longer...

1. Carbs help to support fat metabolism

While cutting out the fuel that powers the muscle may sound like a good idea, once you have experienced the initial fluid loss that results when carbs are eliminated from the diet you will most likely find that weight loss slows down, right down. The reason for this is that the muscle actually requires a small amount of carbohydrate to burn fat. For this reason, consuming a small amount, 20-30g of wholegrain, low GI carbs every 3-4 hours is one of the best things you can do to promote fat loss, especially if you exercise regularly.

2. Carbs stop the binge

You know the feeling, you have been ‘good’ all morning – with your omelette and tuna salad and then come 3 or 4pm, you have the worst sugar cravings and end up binging on biscuits, lollies or whatever sweet food you can find. If this sounds familiar, try adding a small serve of carbs to your meals – a slice of lower carb wholegrain bread such as Helga’s new 25% Lower Carb range or ½ cup of beans or corn and notice how much more in control of your cravings you are.

3. Type and amount is the key

When we lump all of carbs in the same group, we forget that some carbs including white rice, fruit juice, white bread, snack bars and crackers are exceptionally easy to overeat, while wholegrain options including legumes, starchy vegetables and whole pieces of fruit are not. Once you commit to eliminating the refined carbohydrates from your diet, and commit to portion control with the wholegrains carbs you do choose, carbs may not be causing the issues you thought they were.

4. Timing is everything

If your natural tendency is to have a quick, light breakfast, lunch at your desk and your largest meal late at night along with wine, snacks and dessert, the issue with your diet is not the carbs but the time that you are eating them. Timing is of crucial importance when it comes to weight control so simply shifting your carb and calorie intake towards the first half of the day and keeping your choices lighter at night, minus the carbs from extra snacks and dessert, will support weight control long term.

5. Most carbs are low in total carbs and energy

On average a piece of fruit contains 20g of total carbs, a slice of lower carb bread 10g and ½ a cup of beans 12g compared to a row of rice crackers which contains 30g, a handful of dried fruit that contains 45g and a few lollies that contains 60g of total carbs. When you really look at the numbers, wholegrain, low -GI carbs are generally low in both calories and total grams of carbohydrate. It is the little extras that slip in like the row of rice crackers before dinner or a few extra lollies at work that do the damage, not all carbs as is commonly thought.

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